Ask the convert to (Conservative) Judaism

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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[QUOTE=DocCathode]
IIRC The difference between an Orthodox and a Conservative conversion is a promises to carryu out all the activities demanded by Jewish Law. Without this promise, some Orthodox Jews will not consider the convert Jewish. In order for Anne or any kids she will have to be considered Jewish by these people, she would have to undergo a second conversion by an Orthodox rabbi or Orthodox approve Conservative rabbi.

Please note that this is an objection to what details are necessary in a conversion. Orthodox Jews consider converts to be fully and equally Jewish so long as their conversion includes a promise to fulfill the mitzvot.
[/QUOTE]

One of those details, that I don’t meet, would be acceptance by a Bet Din that would be acceptable to the Orthodox. That would be three male rabbis (Orthodoxy doesn’t recognize ordination of women as rabbis, as Conservative and Reform Judaism do) who observe the Sabbath according to Orthodox standards (as Conservative Jews, the rabbis who supervised my conversion are presumed not to do so, AIUI). Since one of the rabbis on my Bet Din was a woman, I don’t qualify.

I didn’t convert Orthodox because I would have felt like a hypocrite converting Orthodox with no intention of observing the mitzvot according to Orthodox standards. If I have a child who wants to be Orthodox, he or she will have to convert in accordance with Orthodox standards. If I changed my mind and decided that I wanted to be Orthodox, I would have to convert again with an Orthodox rabbi, according to Orthodox standards. That’s not likely, both because of my personal beliefs and because Mr. Neville isn’t Orthodox either (it would be very hard, IMO, to live according to Orthodox standards with a spouse who wasn’t willing to do so as well, convert or not).

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Like most liberal (non-Orthodox) Jews, I observe mitzvot, but not necessarily to the standards of the Orthodox- there’s a lot more latitude for setting one’s own standards in liberal Judaism.

I observe Shabbat, at least most of the time. But I observe it a bit differently than the Orthodox. I don’t work, but I don’t refrain from anything that might be like the 39 types of melakhah, the activities that the Orthodox are prohibited from doing on Shabbat. My definition of what is work that shouldn’t be done on Shabbat is pretty much no work brought home from the office, no homework if I’m taking a class, no chores, no errands, no “real” cooking (simple stuff like heating something up on the stove or in the microwave is OK, anything involving significant prep work isn’t), no cooking for the rest of the week, and no driving except to synagogue. I’m a little more lenient on what constitutes an emergency that requires work on Shabbat than the Orthodox, too.

I try to dress modestly, but I don’t follow the Orthodox standards of modest dress. For me, dressing modestly means dressing in a way that doesn’t call attention to my body- no extreme cleavage (I don’t have much cleavage anyway- the girls are big, but set far enough apart that there isn’t really cleavage), no skirts shorter than knee length, no exposed skin between neckline and hem of skirt or pants, and nothing too form-fitting. I do wear short sleeves, shorts, and pants, though. I don’t cover my hair, though I do wear a head covering in synagogue.